Garth Brooks Returns With New Music, Tour

Garth Brooks has announced a new label deal with Sony Music Nashville, plus plans for music and tour.

Tammy Ragusa | Published: Jul 10, 2014

photo by John Russell/CMA

He’s baaack.

True to his word, Garth Brooks is returning to the music business following a more than decade-long retirement from both touring and recording new music.

Garth announced his return during a press conference at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works, where record label executives, members of local, national and worldwide press, friends and family were in attendance.

Doug Morris, CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, began the proceedings by announcing the partnership between Sony and Garth to release new music.

As Garth took the microphone, he elaborated that—for the first time in his career—his music would be available digitally, though exclusively at garthbrooks.com.

He also announced that he planned on entering the world of social media, but didn’t announce when Facebook or Twitter accounts might be launched. Get ready for those hashtags!

And as far as touring goes, that comes along with a new single and album. Details on the tour will be announced around July 14. Garth says fans will hear new music in the next month or two, and a double album is scheduled to drop on Black Friday.

The country megastar said he had been busy writing for the new album, but is also working with other songwriters.

“I’m having a great time playing and writing again, but I’m not sure that my writing is up to the level of the talent right now. I hope it’s because I’m rusty and not because I suck,” he said, laughing.

When asked what the 2014 version of Garth will sound like, he replied, “There’s two terms that are going on right now. One is called ‘bro-country.’ Are you familiar with these? Are you familiar with ‘hick-hop’? Ummm, I don’t think my stuff is either one of those. So, for me, it’s Garth music. Which, again—there aren’t too many people here from the ’90s, but if you remember—I was the guy that wasn’t the country guy in the ’90s, so it kind of feels weird to me to be the guy that’s going, ‘Oh, that’s old country.’ So, it’s kind of odd. All I can do is just open it up and show you and then you’ll make that decision what it is.”

Garth also addressed the recent cancellation of his five-show comeback performances at Dublin, Ireland’s Croke Park for which 400,000 tickets were sold.

He said that when he was approached to continue with the original three shows—accommodating 240,000 people—his concern was with the 160,000 fans whose shows had been canceled.

“I don’t have a clue how we got here. All I know is that the powers who can fix it are not here,” he said. “It’s a simple yes. Open it up for five nights, let everybody have fun, then go to work on never letting it happen again if you want. Create your laws, create your guidelines, but don’t sell a show to people and get their hopes up that you’re just going to cancel on them, and that’s OK. It’s not OK for me, I don’t agree that that’s the way to treat people. And if the prime minister himself wants to talk to me, I will crawl, swim, I will fly over there this weekend, sit in front of him, I will drop on my knees and beg for those 400,000 people to just have fun and let them come see.” Then after a short pause, he said, “Did we cover Ireland?”

Pick up the Aug. 11 issue of Country Weekly, on stands Aug. 4, for more details on the tour, album and Garth’s return.